I actually found the basic idea to be reasonable in terms of story-telling. I thought it was reprehensible in terms of behaviour, on Rick's part, but not at all out-of-character. Rick has always had a dark, narrow-minded, excessively controlling aspect to his character. He can be very full of himself and high-handed. I also thought the pathos of it all contributed to a sense of urgency and threat, which intensified Manny's need to come together ... things were getting a little tepid actually with the silliness of the contrived "danny runs away when he hears a noise" and the "no,no, you must stay away" stuff. That, coupled with a contrived segue, especially in the absence of consummation, into a platform of "contentment" between them, just rang a bit hollow, and they seemed to be ... well, idling, I guess. They needed a shot of excitement to build up to the cresendo of their real, mutual union. And this acheived that.

However, what I object to in this particular section of the story, is this; I believe it borders on the genuinely irresponsible to play fast and loose with an area of the human condition that is already shrouded in a great deal of misperception, myth, fear, shame, distrust, vulnerability and distrust. The days of "Snake Pit", forced sterilizations, and "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" lobotomies, are really long gone. But those memories, myths, and the damage they cause, remain.

The specifics of how this story was handled were so far from "reality," and yet they play right into what so many people believe and fear. That's what is objectionable to me. If there are people out there who really believe you don't have to work and you'll somehow live like the people on the soaps, well so be it. They'll figure it out soon enough. But, if there are people out there who believe that facing issues in their emotional lives which require professional help, will open them up to the loss of their own self determination, then, I have to say, that feeds into a prevalent myth, and a dangerous one.

The mental health professional as an obtuse clinician who can't see what's in front of them for all the "book learning" they are saddled with, or as a silly hack, is a singularly unedifying character to have dredged up again. There was a certain amount of just hack and lame machination mixed into the specifics of this part of the story. Those were the elements that I found objectionable.

It wasn't that the story itself was too disturbing; actually it was very dynamic. It did point out the basic dysfunction and desire for compliance and control and the heart of both family structures. It also for me, pointed out how decimated as a unit the Bauer's are these days. There were many aspects of the story that sang. The difficulty for me was that a lot of the details and mechanics were sloppy, hackneyed, and tired, and they dredged up sterotypes that feed groundless fears about addressing real issues of mental health.

There are mental health problems in my family, and it is amazing to me how far we still have to go in educating people that brain chemical imbalances are actually illnesses. The shame and fear and denial are staggering. And so, so, so painful for the patient, and for the family.

I am not a person who usually mixes social responsibility and entertainment ... I don't usually take these things too seriously, but there are a few things that I find myself sorry to see when they do appear, and the "coerced abduction and commitment to a nuthouse where all the authorities are stupid, overeducated,and all-powerful" scenario, is one of them. Then to have it compounded by just flat out sloppiness and light-mindedness makes it even worse. And it will be even worse if Rick doesn't answer for it, or if they don't do a better job with their all-purpose head shrinker, the staggeringly awful, myth energizing Dr. B.

Rose